Long Term Recovery Committee hears first cases of need as lengthy rebuilding process kicks in

Selma’s Long Term Recovery Committee got started helping families rebuild after the Jan. 12 tornado this week by holding their first hearings of those in need of funding and assistance.

The committee made up of 15 local volunteers has been tasked with identifying those in need and matching them up with funds or agencies that can help do what’s needed to get them back on their feet.

They met Tuesday at the Selma Public Library to hear the first of what could be 130 cases starting with requests from a family that needs rental assistance and another that needs replacement furniture, Jay Gilmer, chairman of the committee, told the Rotary Club of Selma.

The committee is starting with the easier requests as they prepare for up to two years of hearing much more complicated rebuilding cases.

“Our goal is to restore individuals back in their homes,” Gilmer said. “We are advocates for Selma and her needs.”

Driving through Selma, the physical damage caused by the EF2 tornado is obvious, but what’s been harder to see is how many homeowners or renters of those properties are struggling to gather the finances and paperwork needed to rebuild and get back to where they were almost six months ago.

The statistics Gilmer shared on Monday show just how challenging recovery will be with an eye-opening finding that 2,285 people in Dallas County who applied for FEMA assistance had no insurance to cover loss of property and fix damages from the storm. That’s 73% of those who applied for FEMA help after the tornado.

Of the 2,285 residents, 1,060 own their home, but more than that – 1,177 people – rent their home and have no control over whether it will be rebuilt or repaired to where it was before.

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The committee can’t help all of them, Gilmer said, so they turned to experts and partners to determine those with the greatest need and narrowed it down to helping 370 homeowners and 541 renters. Of those, 163 have been screened already and another 28 have been contacted. The committee has nine cases open so far to get started toward helping the estimated 130 people.

“We hope to have zero dollars left,” he said.

The committee has turned to key partners to meet these needs, including the city of Selma and Selma Housing Authority. Outside nonprofits and agencies are also helping, such as Samaritan’s Purse and Team Rubicon.

For the rebuilding of homes, the committee is looking at bringing in construction teams that are expert at coming in to rebuild after storms across the country, Gilmer said. Those teams also build at the most updated storm-proof standards with safe rooms.

The team is looking at partnering with local Mennonites and bringing Amish builders to Selma and crank out homes quickly as they are known to do, Gilmer said. The committee is looking for locals to help house the Amish and drive them where they need to go considering they don’t have vehicles, he said.

The cost of building a home from scratch has increased more than 50% in the last three years, which is impacting the rebuilding process, he added. It is estimated it will cost $125,000 to build a new home compared to $70,000 three years ago.

Rebuilding will be a long-term process, Gilmer said, hence the name of the committee. While other organizations helped with immediate needs, the committee’s work kicks in at the six-month mark and will likely last until the two-year anniversary helping families and individuals get back on their feet.